-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chile poured firefighters and police into the battle against a wildfire that swept through hundreds of homes in the Pacific coastal city of Valparaiso , leaving at least 12 dead , according to an official .

Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo reported at least 2,000 homes had been destroyed by the blaze , leaving some 8,000 people without a place to live .

Earlier , Chile 's National Emergency Office 's website , citing police , had said that at least 16 people were dead . It was not immediately clear why the reported death tolls were different .

More than 1,200 firefighters worked to control the wind-whipped blaze in Valparaiso and the suburb of Vina del Mar , Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said Sunday .

The wind hampered firefighters ' ability to create firebreaks , and the blaze had spread to more than 2,000 acres , Penailillo said .

`` It 's been one of the worst fires in history , '' said Fernando Reseio , the fire superintendent in Vina del Mar. .

Bachelet said the firefighters were backed up by 17 aircraft and that additional police were being brought in to prevent looting in the areas abandoned by their residents . Many of the survivors suffered burns , and the most seriously burned patients were being transferred to hospitals in the capital , Santiago , about 75 miles away , the president said .

In images broadcast by CNN sister network CNN Chile , residents could be seen fleeing the flames overnight . The network reported that the sweeping fire is endangering thousands more homes .

In addition , plans were being drawn up to evacuate inmates at Valparaiso prison as a preventive measure , Mayor Jorge Castro said . The city is under a red alert , said emergency office spokesman Ricardo Toro .

Earlier , Bachelet had declared a state of emergency , which legally allows armed forces to get involved .

CNN 's Michael Roa and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report .

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Strong winds are fanning the flames in Valparaiso

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500 firefighters from seven provinces are battling the fire , but wind is complicating efforts

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Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared a state of emergency